The 1908–09 WPHL season was the ninth and final season of operation for the

Western Pennsylvania Hockey League The Western Pennsylvania Hockey League (WPHL) was an originally amateur and later professional ice hockey league founded in 1896 and existing through 1909. Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the league became the pre-eminent ice hockey league in ...

. Four Pittsburgh-area teams competed in the season, in which all games were played at the

Duquesne Gardens The Duquesne Gardens (officially Duquesne Garden until 1940 and The Gardens afterward) was the main sports arena located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, during the first half of the 20th century. Built in 1890, the building originally served as a tr ...

. By 1908, the league could no longer rely on salaries as novelty to attract Canadian talent, since professionalism had spread into Canada. Many players were lured to the league since the WPHL played on the Duquesne Gardens' artificial ice and was not dependent on cold weather to provide a naturally frozen surface. However, as winter began and Canadian rinks became available, the players would just return to teams closer to their Canadian homes. This jumping affected all of the league's teams. Once the

Pittsburgh Lyceum The Pittsburgh Lyceum Club, or Pittsburgh Lyceum, was a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was a member of the Western Pennsylvania Hockey League from 1907 to 1908 and played all of its games at Duquesne Garden. ...

team folded on December 23, it was decided to discontinue the WPHL after the season. The

Duquesne Athletic Club The Duquesne Athletic Club was a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous ...

beat the

Pittsburgh Bankers The Pittsburgh Bankers were one of the earliest professional ice hockey clubs. The club was based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and was a member of the Western Pennsylvania Hockey League, the first league to openly hire hockey players, from 1899–1 ...

in the last game of the season to win the final WPHL championship title.

Final standings

Source: Fitzsimmons, p. 415 * The Lyceum discontinued play on December 23, 1908.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:1908-09 WPHL season Western Pennsylvania Hockey League seasons WPHL